Sweet Memories
by FaLLeN AnGeL25
Summary: A squinoa. This is my first ever fic. Squall thinks back on all of the good times he's had with his angel. It's a sweet story about how he realizes how much he loves Rinoa. (Hehe am I a sap or what?) Please read and review! It will mean so much to me.


Sweet Memories

By: Fallen Angel

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (very sadly), Squaresoft does. SO don't sue me, you won't get anything.

Author's Note: Hey, this is my first fic so please be kind and review it nicely. It's set in Squall's POV as he thinks back on sweet memories of his lovely angel. Oh, and words bracketed off like this: 'blah blah blah', are thoughts

Squall stared aimlessly out at the fluffy white clouds, gently floating by outside of his window amidst the vast sea of soft azure hues. He sighed and propped his chin on his hand that was resting on the arm of the soft plush seat that he was occupying. Just staring out at the clear blue sky made him feel sick, just because it reminded him of his home. Home… Balamb Garden… the only home that he ever knew besides the orphanage.

Yes, he was an orphan. They all were. They had all grown up together and were miraculously joined once again after a long period of separation. Quistis, Zell, Selphie, Irvine, and himself… childhood friends together again by a stroke of fate. They were all together again… all but one. Seifer… He never got along with the rest of them at the orphanage and when he attended Garden along with Quistis and Squall, he always caused trouble and was labeled as a "problem child". Then, pursuing a dream still unknown to the rest of the world, he became Ultimecia's knight, a sorceress from the future who was bent on Time Compression, and betrayed everyone that he knew. They had all defeated Ultimecia, but he disappeared in the time warp following the long and fierce battle… gone and lost forever in time, suffering an eternity of loneliness and torture, forced to relive the painful memories over and over again.

But there was another to replace Seifer's place among their group. Rinoa…The thought of her made his heart skip a beat. He smiled involuntarily as he recalled the moment when she made her dazzling and spectacular appearance into his cold and lonely life.

There he was, leaning against the wall, champagne glass in hand and his famous forlorn pout engraved on his lips, watching the people milling about the ballroom on the second floor of Garden. He was at his SeeD Inauguration Ball, but frankly, he would have preferred to be in his room alone with just his thoughts. Bored with the petty fraternizing of the couples in the room, his eyes scanned the area for a more amusing target.

His eyes rested on the skylight in the center of the ceiling and the lone shooting star blazing across the deep and starry body of the night sky. He gazed at the spark of light a little longer, a look of awe inconspicuously spreading across his deep steel blue eyes that were as vast and just as wild as the mysterious, azure ocean. His look lingered for another moment before it traveled down once more. But instead of looking upon couples dancing to the soft music, he saw something that glowed with such beauty that it put the shooting star to shame.

Soft raven hair cascaded gently onto bare shoulders whiter than the purest snow while warm brown eyes stared dazed up at the night sky and at the soft blur of light that he had just admired. Her head turned and she set her eyes on his as a soft smile formed on her rosy lips. She gracefully lifted a dainty finger and pointed up at the sky, acknowledging the fateful star that had brought them together. He unwittingly cocked his head to the side and stared at her, marveled by her Beauty and poise. She pivoted on an ivory high heel and made her way across the crowded dance floor… and into his heart…

She walked over and stood squarely in front of him, her naturally flushed face still smiling at his. Her pale, ivory dress hugged her delicate frame as she leaned forward, her eyes studying him for a moment, her lips still forming a coy smile. 

"You're the best looking guy here."

He could feel the heat rush to his face at her flirty remark. His heart began to pound quickly in his chest and he tried to quell the new and strange feelings surging inside of him, but to no avail.

"Dance with me?"

His stomach flipped and he opened his mouth slightly to reply, but instead, found a large lump lodged inside his throat, blocking off his voice. He tried to swallow it, but couldn't. So he looked away and lifted his glass, taking in the cool liquid in hope that the sweet beverage would wash away whatever had blocked his throat.

"Oh I see. You'll only dance with someone you like, huh?"

He tried to tell her that he did like her, more than anything in his life, but his throat still tightened in nervousness. She placed a perfectly manicured finger on her lips as if in deep thought. He was still avoiding eye contact with her, afraid that she might see his emotion filled face.

Suddenly, he felt a soft, yet strong hand against his chin, forcing him to face the owner. He flinched slightly, startled by the quick, smooth movement. She stared at him seductively and began twirling her hand in front of his eyes, chanting in a hypnotic tone.

"You're going to like me… you're going to like me…"

She didn't need to try to hypnotize him. He was already mesmerized by her sheer beauty and the melodic sound of her alluring voice. She stepped back and cocked her head to the side teasingly.

"Did it work?"

After all of his vain attempts, he finally broke the barrier between him and his voice. But when he used it, it was still shaky and uncertain, just like the way he felt.

"…I … can't dance…"

She smiled at him, glad that he finally spoke to her.

"You'll be fine. I need someone. I can't be on the dance floor alone."

He held his breath as she roughly tugged him out to the center of the dance floor. He stumbled along behind her until she finally stopped, gazing up into his eyes. His heart beat wildly as she placed his shaking hand on her slender waist and took his other one in hers as she draped her free arm on his shoulder. His insides churned as she began gracefully leading him around the room. But he was nervous, and as a result, he was extremely clumsy, tripping over his own feet and almost on hers. She pulled away from him in one of the steps, and in his confusion, he swung back a little too hard, stumbling right into her.

Horrified and completely humiliated, he let go of her delicate frame, shaking his head while he walked away, set on going back into hiding in his little corner. But she ran after him and pulled him back to her, resuming the waltz. Just as he was relaxing a bit, though still watching his feet as to make sure he didn't tread on hers, they bumped into another couple waltzing nearby. Abashed, Squall just backed away, looking at the couple with repentance shining in his eyes. He was shocked when his partner wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at them, as if chiding them for ruining their little moment together. She smiled at him again and he seemed to melt as he stared at her warm, beautiful eyes.

Soon, dancing came naturally to him and he felt as if he could do anything by her side. Their bodies moved in time with the ethereal waltz and it seemed as if their hearts were beating together as one. They pulled each other close, just as bright, vivid fireworks lit up the night's darkness. Squall was sure that he felt those fireworks explode in his heart first as they jerked inside of him along with the surging feelings of attraction. He just stared up at the marvelous explosions of light, thinking about the lovely beauty in his arms. He looked back down at her, an amorous look in his eyes, only to see her gazing at something behind him. All he could do was stare silently as she flounced away from him, taking along with her the shattered shards of his heart. He was alone again, abandoned by another one he loved. He didn't even get her name, her pleasant memory being all that he had left of her short and unforgettable appearance into his dark and despondent world.

They met again in Timber, and he had to once again conceal his raging emotions for her. It was a stroke of luck (or was it fate?) that he met her again. She threw her arms around his torso as they flung around in a quick hug. He had to suppress the urge to wrap his arms tightly around her and hold her to him, feeling her soft skin and smelling the intoxicating scent of her minty breath. This time, he got her name. Rinoa… it was the most beautiful name he had ever heard, melodic and rolling easily off of his tongue. 

'A beautiful name for such a beautiful woman…' 

The days went on and his feelings grew intensly until all of his existence revolved around her. He breathed her and felt her everywhere that he went; sweet thoughts of her were all that was in his mind. Even though he felt all of these feelings, he didn't show it on his face. No one could know of what he felt inside. It was too risky; he could get hurt again. He remained the distant and introverted boy that everyone had come to know him by.

But when Rinoa fell into a mysterious coma, he went insane at the thought of losing her. All he could do was visit her incessantly in the infirmary. He caressed her face and begged for her to respond to his gentle touch.  He begged to hear her voice again, to hear its soft tone call out his name. But she didn't. She remained cold and unresponsive, as if already gone from this world. He was driven to such irrationality that he traveled to Esthar and then into space just to find a cure for her.

But when she was possessed out in space and soon lost in the vast emptiness of its murky depths, he abandoned reason and jumped out to save her. They ended up finding each other, but their fuel and oxygen supply were low.

Squall felt an indescribable anguish growing inside of him along with a feeling of utter helplessness. Hey were going to die in space. He couldn't even save Rinoa… but at least they were together. As they held onto each other, staring mournfully into the other's eyes, they floated on by an airship, the Ragnorak. After climbing on board, they gladly welcomed the oxygen that was supplied onboard. They pulled off the cumbersome spacesuits and walked along the path leading out of the oxygen chamber. He stopped briefly and looked out the window at the black, endless stretch that was close to becoming their eternal tomb.

"Thank you, Squall… thank you for saving me… again."

He looked at her and had to swallow the familiar knot forming in his throat.

"It's alright. I just… did what I wanted to."

She smiled at him and began tugging at her clothes, carefully fixing them.

"Give me a hug Squall."

He admired her face, which was still pale from the ordeal that she had just faced, but her eyes… they shone more brilliantly than any star ever could, the light twinkling out of them gently casting a sparkle all over her delicate body. Oh how he wanted to run to her and fall into her warm embrace and caress her soft lips… but he couldn't. So all he could do was look away and cross his arms, suppressing his escalating love for her.

But then, when she was taken away to the Sorceress Memorial, he couldn't take in the aspect of losing her again. It was unbearable and the thought seared through his mind with the power of a raging fire. He raced over there and forced his way through the alarmed staff, making his way to her cell. Furious and not able to break the seal, he drew out his gunblade and slashed through the wires, causing a thick fog to cover the area. Out of the fog, she reached for him and he extended his arms, taking her in, holding her tight and stroking her soft, silky hair, taking in its sweet fragrance. He had never felt so invigorated in his life until then, there in the arms of his loved one.

Then in the Time Compression… when he was lost and wandering wild through a barren desert with no end, all he could think about was her… all he wanted to do was be with her. He finally gave up after walking for hours… or was it days? He couldn't tell. He just trudged on, painstaking step after step. Finally, he collapsed onto the dusty, cracked desert floor and stared out at the dark, warping space in front of him. He had reached a precipice overlooking the mouth of nothingness… there was nowhere left to go.

Suddenly, out of the sky fell a single white feather. He caught it in his hand, reminded of the angel wing motif on the back of Rinoa's sweater. Maybe she did hear his cries out to her. Then all of a sudden, he was standing in the flower field where they had promised to meet, and in front of him was Rinoa. He called out her name, but she didn't reply. He did so again, but when she turned around, her visage seemed to blur. Then he was forced into a fuzzy replay of all of the times they spent together. The time at the float, the magical dance… it was all there. But everything was disoriented… he couldn't make out anything in the warped flashback. But the final image he saw deeply disturbed him. It was Rinoa out in space, but instead of him rescuing her, her helmet shatters, cutting off her oxygen and killing her while the ring he gave her floated among the shards of broken glass. Two burning tears shot out of his eyes before he blacked out and collapsed. There was only one thought on his mind.

'Rinoa…' 

When he woke up, he was cradled in Rinoa's arms among the flowers in the field outside of the orphanage. He looked up at her and saw the look of emotional bliss and amazement on her face. She shed a solitary tear of happiness that soon turned into a torrent as she fell on top of him, holding tightly onto his body.

That fateful night when they returned back to Garden, there was a festive celebration taking place inside of the ballroom. But Squall didn't care for all of that. He followed Rinoa out onto the balcony and they stood in the soft sea breeze, watching the moonlit ocean rippling underneath the velveteen night sky. He looked at his love and couldn't help the little sigh that emanated from his lips. She looked like an angel, her raven hair flowing in the wind. The soft, pale moonlight encompassed her in a silvery aura and her features were gently defined by radiant light.

He looked up at the sky and saw the same fateful shooting star that had brought them together streak across the sky. He smiled then. That was the first time he had smiled since… he couldn't even remember since when. She just sparked a joy in his heart that he had thought had forever ceased to exist. He looked over to his side and saw her flushed face smiling at him, her finger pointing up at the sky just like the first night they had met. With the smile still fresh on his lips, reached out his hand and pulled her close to him. He wrapped his arms around her slim waist as she draped hers around his neck. They slowly moved closer until their lips were just a breath apart. He stared into her eyes and felt his knees get weak. With a pounding heart and racing breath, he moved in closer and brought hi lips to hers. They exchanged their magical first kiss under the soft moonlight as they soared through the air.

He swore that when their lips touched, he felt his heart leap out of his chest. The soft folds of flesh against his shot electricity through all of his nerves, his body quivering from the soft caress. He pulled her close as the kiss became more passionate, their lips sliding apart, their tongues cautiously touching one another, gently exploring the other's mouth. He sank into the kiss and forgot all about his troubles. All he could think about at that moment was Rinoa, as they enveloped each other in their passionate embrace.

Now he was soaring through the air in the Ragnorak on his way back home. The sweet memories still lingered on his mind as he continued to stare out at the soft blue cerulean of the sky. He got up from his lounge chair and retook his position at the pilot seat, turning off the autopilot system. Soon the blue structure of the majestic Balamb Garden loomed into view and docked the aircraft into the hangar.

The second he stepped out of the Ragnorak's scarlet body, he saw Rinoa standing at the entrance of the hanger in her signature sky blue outfit, looking just as beautiful as ever. The moment she saw him, she raced at him and leaped into his arms in a way that was reminiscent to the time they met in Timber. He gently set her down and she wrapped her arms around him, bringing her lips to his. He parted his lips and allowed hers to slide in as they fell into the passion of the kiss. He closed his eyes and pulled her close. It was good to be home again.


End file.
